1 Chapter 1

It is late in the afternoon, much later than Xavier liked. He was doing his best to get through the woods without being seen but not succeeding. With the warm weather coming it was going to make it hard to come and go. He swore as he tripped over a large rock. He really needed to start paying attention more, or he wouldn't have basic things like clothes any longer. His shoes had holes in the bottoms and he wasn't sure where he was going to get another pair.

Just a little bit more, he thought, then I can lay back and rest. His mind drifted a bit, which caused him to hit his head on a tree branch. This earned him a cut right above his eye. Great like he needed another one of those. This wasn't his day, hopefully there is something in the way of food made when he got back. He was starving and with all the pain is now going through he should at the very least get a meal.

Upon reaching the cave, he began to move slowly, almost like he was expecting someone to come out and yell boo....or worse. Satisfied, he walked and greeted the person inside there. A girl who looked like she could have been trying out for mud wrestling. She was covered in dirt from head to toe, and her hair looked like it had not seen a brush in ages. But she still had something different to her, something he just couldn't put his finger on, and this made the pain that he had gotten when he hit his head disappear.

As he sat down, she looked at him half in worry and half in relief, "Did anyone follow you?" she asked, bringing him some water. He took it with a smile and they both sat down against the wall of the cave. He took it without question and began to drink.

"No...I don't think so," he said, trying to drink and talk at the same time. "Don't worry Will, she said she'll come...." another drink of water and then a loud gulp of air, "she just had to get her shop closed up, after all it was midday when I saw her."

It had been months, searching, but with what they had found out at a truck stop they were hopeful By now they were willing to try anything, they had been on the run for 6 months and it was starting to take its toll. Both of them missed so many things, but neither one wanted to talk about it. They had gotten very accustomed to not having certain things that they had taken for granted all their lives, the biggest one food every day, the second was where they would sleep. It killed Xavier some times, knowing that there was an angel back waiting for him, but he couldn't do anything for her.

"Did anyone come close by today?" he asked. "It is starting to get warm and-"

"No, I didn't see anyone, but I heard some campers near, by so no matter what we are going to want to find somewhere else to be tonight," she said looking towards the entrance. "I don't know who they are but still better than having talked around the town and bringing someone here." she started to pace a bit. She felt too uneasy at this time to have to wait for someone that they didn't know and could be dangerous.

"You know I can't believe you are talking like this," he said, leaning back in the chair he had been resting in. A look of mischief on his face, he was tired, but he still wanted to have his fun, and sometimes poking at Willow could be fun. "I mean you are going to have to come to town soon."

"I'm just trying to be careful," she said the begins of another fight, how many of these have they had again? She had lost count and it really didn't matter anymore. They always ended the same way, no matter who started it, it had to end really quick. But this time, he was just trying to get a rise out of her and he was always good at it.

"If I recall you used to be quite a romantic type." he said, leaning forward,"you were even telling me about all the books you'd write....and about the charters and how they'd fall madly in love.....what changed Will?" looking at her his elbows on his knees.

"Oh, I don't know? This did! This whole thing that made me have to run for my life," she said as she started to cry. "I'll never be the writer, I want to be now, because I look like I'm fourteen years old who will take me seriously!" she yelled. "You have no problem with life I mean for you almost nothing has changed."

It was true, neither one had changed in a year and a half. While both had gone through some of their teen years fine, there were still some things lacking, and if you looked closely you could tell that something was not right with them. Not only that, in one town they had seen that their parents had reported them as missing teenagers so it made it hard to go anywhere. He didn't ever really think about the future, or at least, he never did up until now, but she did and to him, it felt wrong to take that from her. Not that it was his fault, to begin with.

"Hey....she will come and she will help us, " he said standing up. Xaiver could never stand it when she cried and Willow had a big problem with crying. "Have faith okay and don't think that I haven't felt any of this Willow. Because I do and I hate it just as much as you" Xavier said he had come over to hold her.

Just then a middle-aged woman came in through the opening of the cave. She looked out of breath and her clothes looked older than them. She looked around and then gave a loud breath of relief. "I thought I had gotten lost for a bit." both Willow and Xaiver looked at her, "But here I am and just like I told him earlier, I make no promises." The woman looked both of them over carefully, "However, are you okay, dear, you look pale" Already the woman had command of the room, grabbing both teens by the arm and pulling them to the mouth of the cave to have a better look at them. "In fact son....you also are looking like you're a bit under the weather. This isn't how I saw you a few hours ago, what happened" she asked.

"Don't worry, it happens every time one of us goes into town, it will go away soon." Xaiver said. He was playing with some of Willow's hair abisentmindly the action not lost to the woman.

"Yeah, we just need to eat something....." Willow said. She sounded a bit faint and was using Xaiver to hold herself up. 

"And I bet you are really thirsty right now? Aren't you two," the woman asked, rubbing at her nose. They both nodded trying not to seem desperate. "Not again Alex is going to have a fit when he sees this."

The teens looked at each other and then at the woman, there must have been something that they didn't get because she was now acting like meeting them was the worst thing in the world. "Ummmm....it's okay if you can't help us we can-"

She stopped them mid way"No....no no no no. In fact, I think you may need to come with me. My store has a back room and you can stay there. Does that sound like a good idea?" she said this as she pulled out a phone.

Both of them, not sure of anything right now, but having very few options to speak of, decide to go with her down to the small town. If anything could be said about these two it was that they looked like they were sweating bullets about it. But as soon as the door closed and locked they started to ease just a little.

On the way down, she talked while Willow and Xavier just remained silent walking hand in hand part of the way and leaning on each other the rest, "I have a place in the back where there is a bed and a place to eat why don't you start there while I call someone about this." she started to lead them to the back area. It looked like a dorm room at least that's what they first thought till they saw a bug crawl across the floor, "I am sorry about the mess in here sometimes this is where I stay and finish things that I need to get done. I found it's easier if I have a place already set up if I need it, and you'd be surprised how often I need it but forget to truly take care of it, " and with that, she went to the other room. "Here are some blankets, you are welcome to eat anything in that there is, I have to go call my friend and get yelled at, but I will be back as soon as I can. If you need anything just come and get me" Both of them looked confused. "Don't worry about it...but know that nothing will get you while you are here, okay? I can promise that" She smiled at them. Both nodded slowly and she turned to leave the room. They looked around the room and the thought that went through their head was what do we do now?